My exercise routine usually involves walking or swimming. But this habit was disrupted when I had foot surgery last winter and found myself in a big gray boot with limited mobility.
The Rec Center at NIU saved the day. After years of walking around the track there, I discovered the cardio room, a whole new world of exercise options. There was the usual array of bikes, treadmills, and stair stepping machines.
And there were also some scary looking machines with complicated configurations of bars, pulleys, and weights. Printed on each was a 13-point warning. The first one was a recommendation to get a medical exam.
Steering clear of these machines, I headed for the bikes, turned on a podcast, and started pedaling. It felt good to be moving again, and an unexpected bonus was that I got to watch the students work out on the scary machines.
They made it look easy. After a couple of weeks, I built up the courage to try one that would work the shoulder muscles. I skimmed the instructions, adjusted the resistance, and reached up to pull down the handles. Whew, it was tough lifting those 12 pounds! After awhile, tired, I stopped, but when I stood up, I was clunked on the head with one of the bobbing handles.
I’m grateful to the passing student who grabbed the handle before it could hit me again. Next time, I’ll do more than skim the directions, I vowed, as I hobbled back to the bikes.
I’m Deborah Booth and that’s my perspective.
